Arrangement and method for analyzing milk

Abstract

A milk analyzing system is disclosed, which includes a milk constituent analyzing unit configured to analyze milk from a milking station with respect to a specific constituent of the milk, and a control device communicatively connected to the milking station and to the milk constituent analyzing unit. The control device is configured to retrieve an analyzing appropriateness parameter for each of the animals milked by the milking station indicating an appropriateness of analyzing milk from the animal with respect to the specific constituent. The control device is configured to control the milk constituent analyzing unit to analyze milk from the milking station with respect to the specific constituent when the time elapsed from when the milk constituent analyzing unit last analyzed milk exceeds a threshold time period, irrespective of the analyzing appropriateness parameter for the animal milked by the milking station.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A milk analyzing system for analyzing milk in a milking system including at least one milking station ( 1   a ,  1   b ,  1   c ) automatically identifying an animal in the at least one milking station and automatically milking the animal, the milk analyzing system comprising:
 a milk constituent analyzing unit ( 5 ) that analyzes milk received from the at least one milking station with respect to a specific constituent of the milk; and 
 a control device ( 9 ) communicatively connected to the milk constituent analyzing unit, the control device ( 9 ) retrieves an analyzing appropriateness parameter for each individual animal milked by the at least one milking station, the analyzing appropriateness parameter indicates an appropriateness of analyzing milk from the individual animal with respect to the specific constituent, the analyzing appropriateness parameter being based on data for the individual animal, 
 the control device ( 9 ) controls the milk constituent analyzing unit ( 5 ) to
 analyze milk from the at least one milking station, with respect to the specific constituent for the individual animal, when the analyzing appropriateness parameter for the individual animal exceeds an analyzing appropriateness parameter threshold value, 
 determine a time period of non-use, during which the milk constituent analyzing unit is not analyzing milk, from when the milk constituent analyzing unit last analyzed milk, 
 determine that the time period of non-use exceeds a threshold time period, and 
 thereafter control the milk constituent analyzing unit ( 5 ) to analyze milk from the at least one milking station when the control device determines that the time period of non-use exceeds the threshold time period, irrespective of whether the analyzing appropriateness parameter for the individual animal exceeds the analyzing appropriateness parameter threshold value, 
 
 wherein the threshold time period is based on the milk constituent analyzing unit ( 5 ) not becoming clogged or failing due to the time period of non-use. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control device controls the milk constituent analyzing unit ( 5 ) to analyze the milk when the analyzing appropriateness parameter for the individual animal milked by the at least one milking station has a greater priority with respect to one or more analyzing appropriateness parameters for animals milked by other milking stations. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the milking system includes at least two milking stations ( 1   a ,  1   b ,  1   c ), each of which automatically identifies a respective individual animal in the milking station and automatically milks the respective individual animal,
 the milk constituent analyzing unit ( 5 ) selectively analyzes milk from each of the milking stations with respect to the specific constituent, and 
 the control device ( 9 ) is communicatively connected to each of the milking stations and controls the milk constituent analyzing unit ( 5 ) to selectively analyze milk from one of the milking stations with respect to the specific constituent only when one or more of (i) the analyzing appropriateness parameter for the respective individual animal milked by the one milking station exceeds the analyzing appropriateness parameter threshold value and (ii) the time elapsed from when the milk constituent analyzing unit last analyzed milk from any of the milking stations exceeds the threshold time period. 
 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , wherein the analyzing appropriateness parameter threshold value is dependent upon one or more analyzing appropriateness parameters for one or more of the animals milked by another one of the milking stations. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 3 , wherein the milking stations are connected to a milk storage tank ( 7 ) via a common milk line ( 4 ) and transfer milk to the milk storage tank via the common milk line, and
 the milk constituent analyzing unit is connected to the common milk line and selectively analyzes milk from each of the milking stations with respect to the specific constituent. 
 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the milk constituent analyzing unit ( 5 ) selectively samples milk from each of the milking stations and analyzes the sampled milk with respect to the specific constituent. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data comprises at least one of a result of a previous analysis of the milk of the specific individual animal, the time elapsed since the milk constituent analyzing unit last analyzed milk from the specific animal with respect to the specific constituent, physiological data for the specific animal, historical measured data for the specific individual animal, and an indication with respect to the specific animal in a database of the animals held by, or accessible to, the control device. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the indication indicates that the specific animal is one or more of ill, in early lactation, fed in a specific manner, under treatment, and producing milk of a specific quantity or quality. 
     
     
       9. The system of  1 , wherein the milk constituent analyzing unit is a cell counter. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the analyzing appropriateness parameter that indicates the appropriateness of analyzing milk from the individual animal with respect to the specific constituent is based on data of a previous analysis for the specific constituent for the individual animal. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data comprises at least two data parameters including a result of a previous analysis of the milk of the specific individual animal, the time elapsed since the milk constituent analyzing unit last analyzed milk from the specific animal with respect to the specific constituent, physiological data for the specific animal, historical measured data for the specific individual animal, and an indication with respect to the specific individual animal in a database of the animals held by, or accessible to, the control device. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the analyzing appropriateness parameter is determined based on weighting factors assigned for each of the at least two data parameters. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the milk constituent analyzing unit provides a cell count with respect to the specific constituent of the milk, and the control device is configured to analyze the cell count with respect to a threshold cell count for the specific constituent of the milk. 
     
     
       14. A method for analyzing milk, the method comprising:
 utilizing the milk analyzing system of  claim 1 ; 
 retrieving the analyzing appropriateness parameter for each individual animal milked by the at least one milking station indicating the appropriateness of analyzing milk from the individual animal with respect to the specific constituent of the milk; 
 providing the analyzing appropriateness parameter threshold value for the analyzing appropriateness parameter and a time period threshold value for the threshold time period; and 
 analyzing milk from the at least one milking station, at the milk constituent analyzing unit ( 5 ) configured to analyze milk from the at least one milking station, with respect to the specific constituent when the time elapsed from when the milk constituent analyzing unit last analyzed milk exceeds the threshold time period, irrespective of the analyzing appropriateness parameter for the individual animal milked by the milking station. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising analyzing the milk from the at least one milking station, at the milk constituent analyzing unit ( 5 ), with respect to the specific constituent when the analyzing appropriateness parameter for the individual animal milked by the at least one milking station exceeds the analyzing appropriateness parameter threshold value. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the milk is analyzed at the milk constituent analyzing unit ( 5 ) when the analyzing appropriateness parameter for the individual animal milked by the at least one milking station has a greater priority with respect to one or more analyzing appropriateness parameters for animals milked by other milking stations. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the milking system includes at least two milking stations ( 1   a ,  1   b ,  1   c ), each of which automatically identifies a respective individual animal in the milking station and automatically milks the animal,
 the method further comprising:
 retrieving the analyzing appropriateness parameter for each respective individual animal milked by each one of the milking stations indicating the appropriateness of analyzing milk from one specific animal with respect to the specific constituent; and 
 selectively analyzing the milk from one of the milking stations, at the milk constituent analyzing unit ( 5 ), with respect to the specific constituent only when one or more of (i) the analyzing appropriateness parameter for the respective individual animal milked by the one milking station exceeds the analyzing appropriateness parameter threshold value, and (ii) the time elapsed from when the milk constituent analyzing unit last analyzed the milk from any of the milking stations exceeds the threshold time period. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the analyzing appropriateness parameter for the respective individual animal is based on data for the one specific animal, and
 the data comprises one or more of a result of a previous analysis of the milk of the specific animal, the time elapsed since the milk constituent analyzing unit last analyzed milk from the specific animal, physiological data for the specific animal, historical measured data for the specific animal, and an indication with respect to the specific individual animal in a database of the animals held by, or accessible to, the control device. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the indication indicates that the specific animal is one or more of ill, in early lactation, fed in a specific manner, under treatment, and producing milk of a specific quantity or quality. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the milk constituent analyzing unit is a cell counter.